Bless the Snow
by Audrey Rhey
Summary: Gray returns the guild after an extended mission to find a few things have changed. Whatever will he do with a crying Mira? A Christmas gift for my favorite.
1. Chapter 1

**This fic will be divided into three parts.**

 **A lovely gift for the most lovely woman I know. I love you!**

* * *

A faint light came from the window of the guild hall. The sight brought a smile to Gray's face. His mission had been a long one, and despite it being past midnight, he needed a bite to eat. He walked through the front doors, unsurprised to see the place mostly abandoned. Wednesdays rarely were late party nights, even for Cana and the rest of Fairy Tail's big drinkers.

He set his luggage just inside the door. There was no one there to bother it, even if he was worried about it. The soft sound of a feminine voice came from the back of the hall. Someone crying? He followed it to the kitchen, wondering what could be going on.

Mirajane was leaning over the marble counter top, her back towards him. Her arm moved fluidly as she sliced something on a wooden cutting board. Her body seemed to shake as a small sob escaped her lips. She sat the knife down and gripped the edge of the counter, trying to get a hold of herself.

"Hey." Gray said softly, unsure what to do.

Mirajane whipped around, her cheeks reddening as she saw the ice mage. "Sorry. I was- It was, uh-" She grabbed a rag from her apron and dabbed at her mascara stained eyes. She cleared her throat and looked to the side. "Onions."

Gray's eyes dropped to the cutting board behind her, seeing an unsliced onion on top a neatly stacked pile of celery and carrots at the edge. He frowned, wondering what was actually bothering her. "You know if you hold a piece of bread or a cracker in your mouth, they won't bother you as bad. Master Ur used to tell Lyon and I that when she made us help with dinner."

"Did you listen?" Mira asked, sliding to the side to hide the cutting board with her body.

"Not then." Gray admitted, his expression softening. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Mira replied quickly. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Gray said, taking another step towards her. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying for hours. The sight of the take-over mage in such a state made his heart ache.

"Laxus and I broke up." Mira replied, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Oh." Gray paused, trying to figure out what she needed to hear. "I'm sorry."

"That's not why I'm crying." Mira admitted after a moment, a seemingly amused sigh escaping her lips. "It's been a few weeks since we broke up, actually. You've been gone for a long time Gray."

"The mission took longer than I expected." He admitted, leaning against the counter opposite her. "So why are you crying then?"

"It's complicated." She said, folding her arms in front of her. "A combination of things."

"Like what?" He asked, immediately regretting his words. If she had wanted to talk about it, she would have said something already. 'Why are you here so late?"

"I couldn't sleep. Normally when I can't sleep I get up and bake something. But I have so much to do tomorrow I decided to get up and come do some prep work for the morning instead."

"So that's why you're cutting onions at two in the morning." He said, looking at the clock on the wall behind her.

"Something like that." She mumbled, glancing at the mess on the cutting board behind her. "I'm actually getting tired now though."

"Well, maybe I can help." Gray offered, looking at the set of knives on the counter beside her. He picked up a rather impressive looking blade and a large metal rod. "Do your knives need sharpened?"

"That's actually a straightening steel." Mira replied, taking the metal piece from his hand. "It just takes off tiny pieces of metal and keeps the blade straight. It won't sharpen the knife, but it will keep it from dulling. I have a wet stone over in the corner that I use to sharpen them."

Gray stared at her, impressed at her enthusiasm.

"Don't look at me like that. I love cooking, and taking care of your knives is one of the best ways to make the job easier." She said, placing the steel in it's wooden slot.

"Hey, I'm just impressed." Gray said, a hint of amusement leaking into his voice. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Actually, do you want to cut up this celery for me?" She asked, pulling out the leafy green stalks.

"Sure." Gray replied, grabbing one of the cutting boards hanging from the wall. It what white plastic with a textured surface, something he was much less likely to mess up than her wooden one.

Mira grabbed it from his hand and placed it on the counter beside hers. She grabbed the carrots from the cutting board and tossed them into a stainless steel bowl behind the cutting boards. "Cut them into half inch pieces, about the size of the carrots."

"Yes ma'am." He replied, holding the celery as he sliced into it.

"Tuck your fingers back and let the blade rock against your knuckles so you don't cut yourself." Mirajane warned, peering over the ice mage's shoulder.

"Are you really telling me how to cut stuff up? I live alone. I know how to cook enough to cut up some celery." He said, irritation leaking into his voice. He sped up, his knife moving faster. "See, this works just-"

Mirajane sighed. "I'll get you a band-aid."

Gray set the knife to the side, looking at his finger closely. He'd taken off a small slice, just enough to bleed. "If I hadn't been distracted this wouldn't have happened."

Mirajane ripped the packaging off of the band-aid and offered him a smile. "It wouldn't have happened at all if you would have listened to me." She pointed out, wrapping the band-aid around his finger.

"What are you cutting all of these up for anyway, vegetable soup tomorrow?" He asked. He pushed his celery off of the cutting board into the bowl, trying to ignore just how close her body was to his.

"Not quite. I'm making a stock to let simmer over night. I'm going to toss the veggies into a pot with a few herbs and some chicken bones and have Kinana take it off when she comes in. The bones have already been simmering since I got here."

"That seems like a lot of work for something you can get in a box." Gray reasoned, thinking of how many times he'd passed the boxes of salty liquid in the grocery store.

"It's not the same." Mira said, chopping the rest of her onion with expert speed. "It tastes a lot better made from scratch."

"It seems like a lot of wasted effort though." Gray mused, looking at his finger as the blood soaked through the band-aid. Mira really did keep those knives sharp.

"It's not wasted effort." Mira snapped, turning to glare at the ice mage. The angry expression faded from her face as their eyes met. "I cook for the members of this guild. They're like, no, they are family to me. Cooking is my way of showing just how much their friendship means to me. If that means making stock from scratch when I can, then that's what I do."

"I didn't mean anything by it." Gray said defensively, rubbing the back of his neck. The last thing in the world he wanted was to upset her further. "I just meant you don't have to go through all the trouble. We all love your cooking."

"You love my cooking because I don't take short cuts. No one has a clue just how much goes into all of this." She replied, scooping up the last of the onion and placing it in the bowl. She tossed a small beige sack on top of it and walked over to the stove top. She poured the bowl's contents on top, a satisfied smile playing across her face. "That should do it."

"Are you sure it's safe to leave over night?" Gray asked, watching as small flames licked the bottom of the stock pot.

"It's just a low simmer. I leave it all the time. There's a sprinkler system if anything goes wrong, and it never has." She reasoned, taking off her unsoiled apron and hanging it next to the sink.

"Do you mind if I walk you home?" He asked, his stomach growling loudly as he remembered why he had come to the guild in the first place. As long as he had been gone, most of the food in his house was sure to be spoiled.

"No." She said, the edges of her lips curling up into a soft smile. "But maybe you should eat something first. That's probably why you stopped by in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, not that I don't enjoy your company." he added quickly.

The white haired mage pulled a small white paper sack from the fridge and handed it to him. "It's just a couple tuna sandwiches. Natsu and Happy caught a lot of fish on their last trip and gave me some in exchange for cooking half of it for them. I had some left over so I was going to take it home for Elf and Lisanna."

"I don't wanna take it from them." Gray replied, his stomach nearly growling over his own voice.

"They won't miss it." Mira replied, suppressing a small laugh. "You can walk me home in exchange."

"Alright." Gray decided, holding open the door. "After you."

The pair stepped out into the cold air. The sky was brightly lit by the stars, not a single cloud marring it's beauty. Gray looked at Mira, admiring the way the stars cast light across her face, illuminating her best features.

"We better hurry. It's getting late." Gray pointed out, nodding towards the moon slowly lowering in the sky.

"You're probably right." Mira said softly, quickening her pace.

"Only probably?" Gray teased, casting her a playful glance. "How early will you be back tomorrow anyway?"

Mirajane twisted her mouth to the side in thought, her fingers absentmindedly grabbing at the ends of her hair. "Probably around seven. Kinana will be in at five, so I could probably hold off until eight."

"Isn't that awfully early?"

"It's not always so bad." She shrugged, her arm brushing against the ice mage as she moved closer. "We usually trade off so one of us doesn't have to be there so early, but I have a lot to do tomorrow."

"What exactly do you have to do tomorrow?" Gray asked, wracking his brain trying to remember if there was some sort of event coming up. Then again, having been gone for two months, anything could have happened.

"It's nothing major really, we've just had a really busy week. Most of the things we usually have made in advance, have already been used. It's a good thing, good for business." Mira said, turning onto the street where she lived with Elfman and Lisanna.

"I forget you make money from the kitchen since you don't take missions." Gray said, his eyes falling on the house to their right. "This is you, isn't it?"

She turned to face him and nodded quickly in response, her cheeks and nose red from the cold. She looked up at the ice mage with only inches between them.

"You better get inside. You look like your freezing." Gray said, suddenly very aware of how close their faces were.

"Oh, right." She replied, the redness on her cheeks deepening. "Goodnight Gray."

"Night Mira." He said, watching as she turned. Her steps seemed to slow was she walked towards the front steps of the house. "Mira?"

"Hmm?" She turned her head to look at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." She smiled, hurrying into the house.

"Hey." Gray said, taking a seat at the bar counter.

Mirajane whipped around, a smile instantly forming on her face at the sight of the ice mage. She set down the pitcher she was holding and walked over to him. "You're here."

"I said I would see you today, didn't I?" He asked, looking up from the counter.

"You did. Can I get you something to drink?" She asked sweetly, leaning over the counter.

"Coffee." He replied, his eyes catching the freshly made pot behind her.

"Did you not sleep well?" Mira asked, looking him over. He certainly didn't seem all that well rested. She grabbed a cup from below the counter and turned to grab the pot.

"I just woke up and I didn't have any coffee at the house." He said, a light sparking behind his eyes as the warm black liquid made contact with the cup.

"It's after noon now. You must have been exhausted from your trip. How were your sandwiches?" She asked, scooting the cup towards him on the counter.

"Excellent, like everything you make." He said before lifting the cup to his lips. He took a long drink from the mug, downing nearly half of it's contents in one drink.

"Want some eggs or something? It's after noon, but since you just woke up I can make you breakfast food if you'd like."

Gray sat the empty mug on the counter, already feeling slightly better. "This is fine, but I'll take another cup of coffee."

"It's one in the afternoon. Are you sure you want to drink that much caffeine?"

"It doesn't have an intense effect on me. I'll be fine." He said, amusement leaking into his voice at her concern.

"Don't blame me if you're up all night." Mira warned, pouring him a second cup of coffee. She pushed it back towards the ice mage, careful not to let any slosh over the side. "It's supposed to snow tonight."

"Really?" Gray raised an eyebrow at her. It didn't seem quite cold enough in Fiore just yet. Being away all of those months had really thrown off his sense of time. "It's hard to believe its that late in the year already."

"Mhm." She said cheerfully, offering him a smile. She grabbed the rag from her apron and began wiping the counter by the coffee pot. "Christmas is only two weeks away now. It's my favorite time of year."

"Your favorite time of year is winter?" Gray asked, his eyes widening at the revelation. At least she didn't seem to have an aversion to cold.

She nodded, turning back to face him. "There's always hot chocolate, freshly baked cookies, and the snow is just beautiful. Plus, I love watching figure skaters."

"Just watching? As graceful as you are, I'm sure you could join them."

A deep blush spread across her face. "I've never actually been ice skating."

"Really?" Gray asked, making eye contact with her. "I could always take you and show you how, if you'd like."

"Really? Do you promise?"

"Sure." He said, smiling as he stood up. "I'll see you later Mira."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Part two of my dearest Ettee's gift. I love you darling!**

 **Full of fluff and awkward moments.**

 **Poor Gray. Mirajane is so complicated sometimes.**

* * *

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Gray asked, catching the white haired mage by surprise as she stepped out of the guild hall. He tossed his cigarette to the side as he pushed off the wall.

"You started smoking again?" Mira asked, her voice teeming with disapproval.

"I never stopped." He admitted, taking a step in her direction. "I just don't do it all that often, just when I have something on my mind."

"What's on your mind Gray?" Mira asked, deciding not to push the subject of his nasty habit any further for the time being.

"Come on a walk with me and I'll tell you about it." He urged, watching her closely for a reaction. "You're off work now, right?"

"Yes. Alright, let's go." She said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

The pair walked down the sidewalk, close enough their elbows brushed. The snow underneath their feet crunched with every step. Mira broke the silence between them. "So, what's on your mind?"

"I'm trying to figure the best way to say it actually." He admitted, feeling her deep blue eyes on him. How could he tell her what he so desperately wanted when he didn't know if she felt the same?

"Take all the time you need then." She replied, disappointment leaking into her voice.

"The lake has frozen over." The ice mage said, changing the subject.

"Come on." Mirajane said, grabbing the ice mage by the hand, dragging him towards it. f

"The ice isn't thick enough, we'll fall through." Gray replied, giving her a skeptical look.

"You can make it thicker. Come on Gray, you said you would teach me how to ice skate." She said, pouting as she stared into his deep blue eyes.

"Alright." He said, giving her hand a tight squeeze before releasing it. He stepped in front of her, their bodies just a foot apart. "Hold onto my shoulders while I make you some skates."

"Okay." She said, grabbing his shoulders. Somewhere along the way he had lost his shirt, leaving his shoulders bare.

A small flash of blue light formed around the ice mage's hands as a pair of blades formed on the soles of both of their shoes, giving them each an additional inch and a half in height. Another short blast of blue light followed, wrapping swirls of ice around the tops of Mira's shoes to help keep her steady.

"Oh wow, they're beautiful Gray." She said, twisting her leg to get a better look at the beautiful pattern. It glittered as she shifted, flashing light onto the snow.

"Now for the lake." Gray mumbled, pressing his hand to its frozen surface. The ice slowly thickened across the lake, the ice mage concentrating hard to keep any fish from getting caught. He pulled away, a look of satisfaction playing across his face. "That should do it. Are you ready?"

She nodded, tentatively taking a step forward on her skates. "It's not so bad."

"We're not on the ice yet." Gray teased, grabbing her hand. "I'll hold you steady, don't worry."

"I'm going to fall on my butt." She announced, just three feet from the edge of the lake, her grip on the ice mage's hand tightening.

A laugh ripped from his chest. "No you're not. You're doing great and we've barely started." He slid around to face her with ease, the amused look still plastered on his face. He took her other hand and pulled her forward. "I won't let you fall."

"You skating backwards isn't doing wonders for my self confidence." She admitted, although she felt herself moving much easier with his reassurance.

"You have to remember, I grew up in the north. It was always cold like this so there was plenty of ice. We won't even talk about the fact that I'm an ice mage." He said, pulling her in a small circle.

"I guess you're right." She decided, looking down at the tracks their blades were leaving behind. "That makes you an even better teacher."

"I don't know about that, but I'm trying."

"Speed up." She ordered playfully, looking into his deep blue eyes that all but matched her own. "Let's see how fast you can go."

"You sure you wanna do that?" The ice mage replied, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Not that you're not doing well."

"I'm sure." She replied eagerly.

Gray instantly increased his pace, gripping her hands tighter in his own. He smiled at the image before him as Mira's hair whipped around behind her, fluttering in the breeze they were creating. She was beautiful.

"Gray." Mira said, her voice an octave higher than usual.

"What?"

"Gray stop!"

"Wha- Ah!" The ice mage fell backwards as he hit the edge of the lake, thrown off balance by the sudden appearance of thick white powder. He took Mira down with him, her body landing on top of him, pinning him to the snow.

She giggled as she pushed herself up, her white hair cascading down over the pair. "I tried to warn you."

"Sorry." Gray said sheepishly. "I was a bit distracted."

"By what?" Mira asked, her voice so full of innocence the ice mage could barely stand it.

"By you." He admitted, propping himself up on his elbows. Gray leaned up to meet her, their lips so close he could almost taste them.

"Mira?" A deep voice called from several yards away.

"Elfman!" Mira said, rolling to the side so that she was beside Gray. "What are you doing here?"

Gray willed himself to melt into the snow. Anything would be better than the situation he found himself in. He could be a damn bird if it meant that that didn't just happen.

"I was just going to tell you I'm going out to dinner with Ever and Lisanna is taking a mission with Bixlow so we won't be home tonight." He said, an embarrassed smile forming on his face at the realization of what he had just walked in on.

"Okay." Mira called after him, giggling once he had past.

"Well, I think skating lessons are over for today." Gray managed, letting himself to collapse back into the snow.

"I think you're right." She laughed, sitting up. "Let's find your shirt. Come back to my house and I'll make you dinner, okay?"

"Sounds great." Gray mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. For all times of Elfman to find them, that had to be the worst.

* * *

The Strauss home was small with just enough space for the three siblings to live comfortably. As Gray entered, his eyes were immediately drawn to the large Christmas tree sitting in the corner of the room. It's branches were adorned with assorted colored baubles that reflected light onto the floor. Every doorway was strung with a garland of green, little red berries hanging in their centers. If nothing else, it was obvious that the Strauss siblings loved Christmas.

"You can sit down if you'd like." Mira said softly, motioning to the red couch beside the tree.

"I'd rather be in the kitchen so I can watch you cook." He admitted, watching the way her hips shifted side to side as she walked through the room.

"I'm actually going to go change out of my work clothes. I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable, okay?"

"I'll be here." He replied, taking a seat next to the tree. The ice mage studied the picture framed hanging on the opposite wall. There was one of the siblings from when they were younger, probably from when they had just come to the guild. A smile crossed his face at the sight of a much younger Mira, fully dressed in her punkish clothes. He'd had no idea then that Erza would end up the scarier one of the rivals.

So much had changed since then. Mirajane had lost her sister and gained her back. The guild had grown so much stronger as a whole. Everyone was closer. Things were mostly good. His eyes scanned over a more recent picture. Mira was wearing her black dress, beautiful as ever. He couldn't help but stare.

"Are you okay?" Mira asked, a half smile forming on her lips. She had changed into a yellow sweater and jeans that hugged her curves perfectly. It wasn't often Gray got to see her in something unfrilly. Somehow it made her even more gorgeous. "You look lost in thought."

"Just looking at the pictures." He said, breaking his gaze and nodding towards the wall. "It's quite a collection you've got."

"I actually have about ten photo albums full." She said, sliding onto the couch. "I'm a bit of a memory collector. We lost everything from before we joined Fairy Tail. Lisanna barely remembers anything, and my memories of our parents are foggy at best. I don't want to forget anything else."

"I can't blame you." Gray sighed, thinking of his own past. "I have a hard time remembering my mom's face sometimes, but I can still remember her voice clearly. She always used to sing to me. Most of what I remember her singing is Christmas carols actually. She went all out at Christmas." He looked at the Christmas tree fondly. "Our house always looked a lot like this in the winter."

"My mom, both my parents really, always made Christmas really special for us." Mira said, inching closer to the ice mage on the couch. "I've tried to continue the tradition for Elfman and Lisanna. I'm sure they think it's a bit over the top sometimes but-"

"I think it's really nice." Gray interjected. He placed his hand over hers and gave it a tight squeeze. "It reminds me of home."

Mira looked down at the hand on top of her own, twisting her wrist so that their palms were facing. "What are we doing Gray?"

"I- uh-," He stammered over his words, suddenly wondering if he had misplaced his feelings. "Do you want me to go?"

"No." She said firmly, looking into his midnight eyes that near matched her own.

"Can I-" His words were cut off by her lips pressed against his. He froze with surprise, wondering how things had taken such an abrupt turn, not that he would complain. The kiss was soft and gentle, the way a first kiss should be, ending much too soon.

She pulled back and looked at him. "Is this what we're doing?"

"If you, uh, want to?" He asked, feeling just a bit of heat rising to his cheeks. Mirajane was the only one who knew how to get him flustered in such a way.

Mira pushed him into the arm of the couch, her lips meeting his with a sense of urgency. Her lips were soft and sweet with a hint of honey. He ran his hands up her back, holding her tight through the silky fabric of her sweater. A soft groan escaped him as she pressed herself against him and gently bit his bottom lip.

Mira pulled away, an amused smirk on her swollen lips. "Don't get too carried away, it's only our first date." She winked.

"Our first date huh?" He asked. "Shouldn't I be the one taking you out to dinner, instead of you cooking for me?"

"You took me ice skating, that was good enough." She said, righting herself on the couch. "You can take me out for dinner on our second date."

"That's promising." He decided, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky.

She stood up, pulling her sweater down where it had climbed up her back. "Come on, I'll show you how to make risotto."

"I know how to cook." The ice mage said defensively.

"Not like I do." She said playfully grabbing his hand. "It will be fun."

"I think you and I may have different ideas of fun."


End file.
